Snowden: Hero Or Zero? 

NSA leaker Edward Snowden is answering that headline question on his own. And the answer is less than zero -- he is, broadly speaking, a traitor. Whatever comfort can be taken from Snowden's exposure of the Obama Administration's overreaching data collection efforts on law-abiding Americans is negated by what he is "exposing" now. 

Yesterday Snowden gave an another interview, this time with the South China Morning Post. He claimed that the U.S. was monitoring people in Hong Kong and China and was engaged in cyber-warfare. Here's a news flash for Mr. Snowden: That is what our intelligence agencies are supposed to do! 

It would be a scandal if we discovered the opposite were true: That while the Obama Administration was conducting massive surveillance in the U.S. it was not engaging our adversaries and enemies around the world. And, yes, I do include China as an adversary.

That Snowden thinks this is troubling removes any doubt about what his worldview is. Like so much of the left, he sees America as the bad guy. Snowden told the Guardian that he doesn't see China as an enemy, adding, "We trade with each other freely, you know. We're not at war. We are not in armed conflict. …We are the largest trading partners out there for each other." 

I pointed out Monday that Snowden has a "globalist" worldview. In describing his motivations for leaking the NSA program, Snowden said, "…I hope this will trigger [a debate] among citizens around the globe about what kind of world we want to live in." 

How many of your conservative, Tea Party friends would describe themselves as citizens of the world? Would a patriotic American concerned about civil liberties really flee to China? I don't think so. Snowden is not Patrick Henry and he is not a Reaganaut. He is a disgruntled Obama supporter. 

Here's something else to consider: Because Snowden has run into the arms of our adversary and is now doing damage to us abroad, because he is so naïve that he actually believes U.S. intelligence agencies disrupting our enemies is a violation of our principles, he has likely damaged the cause of reining in the administration's spying on American citizens. 

Edward Snowden is a grossly flawed messenger for the cause of liberty. I hope in the days ahead that these two issues can be separated in the mind of the general public -- and in the minds of conservatives. 

What The Government Is NOT Doing 

Let's put Snowden aside for now and revisit what the administration is failing to do in the fight against racial Islamic terrorism. Columnist Mark Steyn joked a few days ago that we may learn the Obama Administration was monitoring everyone's calls except those from the Middle East because that would be profiling. Unfortunately, there is some truth to his joke. 

Investor's Business Daily reminds readers that while the government is collecting massive amounts of phone data from law-abiding citizens and while the IRS is harassing "Patriot" groups and organizations wanting to educate the public about the Constitution, government snoopers have been ordered not to look in mosques. 

The FBI had conducted many successful sting operations by placing operatives inside mosques suspected of promoting jihad. But the Obama Administration stopped the program. Referring to the Boston Marathon bombing, the IBD editorial noted, "The FBI never canvassed Boston mosques until four days after the April 15 attacks." 

Why would the FBI want to monitor mosques? According to a survey of 100 mosques around the country, 81% had materials that promoted violent jihad in some manner. 

Call it profiling if you want. But if you are trying to stop radical Islamists, you don't go to Episcopalian or Presbyterian churches. You go where the radical Islamists are. Unless of course you are a left-wing ideologue more committed to political correctness than America's national security. 

Speaking Of Left-wing Ideologues… 

George Will's latest column provides a perfect example of why our Founding Fathers wanted limited government. Will recounts the chilling details of government intimidation experienced by Illinois Senate candidate Al Salvi during his 1996 campaign against Dick Durbin. 

In the final weeks of the election, Salvi's campaign was derailed by reports that he was facing a government investigation for illegal fundraising abuses. During his inquisition, Lois Lerner, then a top official at the Federal Election Commission, told Salvi, "Promise me you will never run for office again, and we'll drop this case." 

It was Lois Lerner who led the FEC's smear of the Christian Coalition. And under her leadership, the IRS demanded pro-life groups promise not to protest at Planned Parenthood clinics. 

As Will points out, bureaucrats like Lois Lerner are the reason so many people are nervous about the NSA. The NSA program may be an important tool in fighting terrorism. But can we trust that the power at the NSA won't also be exploited by left-wing ideologues like Lerner? 

Conservatives must make the moral case against "progressive" Big Government. Beyond budget numbers and spending, Big Government and its petty, out-of-control bureaucrats are a threat to our liberty. 

White House Threatens Veto Of Religious Liberty Amendment 

In recent reports, we told you about the assault on religious liberty that is taking place inside Obama's Pentagon. In response, Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) offered an amendment to the 2014 Defense authorization bill designed to safeguard the religious liberty of our men and women in uniform. Last week the House Armed Services Committee voted 33-to-26 to approve Rep. Fleming's amendment. 

Sadly, the Obama White House released a statement this week threatening to veto the entire defense authorization bill. The president "strongly objects" to Rep. Fleming's religious liberty amendment. In addition, his "Statement of Administration Policy" labels expressions of faith as "potentially problematic speech and actions." 

The Sky Is Falling! 

Last night I tuned in to the ABC evening news to get the latest on the various government scandals and other issues facing the country. But in the judgment of the news hounds at ABC, the biggest issue facing the country was a line of severe thunderstorms moving across the Midwest. 

Folks, thunderstorms have been going across the Midwest for all of recorded history. They will continue going across the Midwest long after Obama has failed to stop the climate from changing or the oceans from rising. 

ABC even brought in an expert to tell us what to do if you are in your car when a thunderstorm hits. What I am looking for is not how to avoid a line of thunderstorms, but rather how to get out of the line of fire from an ever-growing government! 

Palin Back At Fox 

Here's some good news for all you Sarah Palin fans (myself included!): According to the Drudge Report, Palin is coming back to Fox News as a contributor. The details will be announced later today.